one year on
Microsoft adds dedicated Copilot key to Windows keyboards, first major layout change in 30 years
The new key, arriving on PCs this month, is meant to make Microsoft's AI assistant a one-touch feature and marks the company's bet that 2024 will be 'the year of the AI PC'.
Microsoft today announced a dedicated Copilot key for Windows 11 PCs, calling it the first major addition to the standard keyboard layout since the Windows key debuted in 1994. The key will invoke the company’s AI assistant, Copilot, which is powered by models from Microsoft-backed OpenAI and can compose text, create images, and adjust system settings.
Device makers are expected to show off PCs with the new key at CES next week, with availability starting later this month and continuing through spring, including on Microsoft’s own Surface devices. In a blog post, Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s consumer chief marketing officer, declared 2024 ‘the year of the AI PC’ and described the key as an entry point into ‘a more personal and intelligent computing future.’
CNBC reported that in some cases the key will replace the right Control or Menu key, while larger keyboards may keep both. Microsoft is also casting the change as a way to spur a wave of PC upgrades.
Whatever the verdict, Microsoft is betting that a physical token of AI integration will nudge the upgrade cycle forward.
The record
Microsoft's consumer chief marketing officer called the Copilot key the most significant change to the Windows keyboard in nearly three decades, claiming it will 'empower people to participate in the AI transformation more easily.'
The report noted the key is a bid to spur PC upgrades, with partners like Dell and HP looking to sell replacements for pandemic-era machines.
One year later — open only if you can handle spoilers
The Copilot key became standard on most new Windows 11 PCs by late 2024, though many users remapped it to other functions. The 'year of the AI PC' tagline ultimately presaged a broader industry push, but the key itself remained a minor talking point compared to deeper OS-level AI features like real-time captioning.